DRUG WAR IS AN INDUSTRY AND BUREAUCRACY

Editor:

Thanks for publishing Richard Mack's outstanding letter: "Courier's
support on war on drugs 'unthinkable' " (Jan. 11).

The so-called war on drugs is a huge industry and huge bureaucracy.
Victory in the drug war is not possible, nor is it the goal.

Victory in the drug war would mean that the drug war industry and
bureaucracy are out of business.

There are basically two types of people who support the so-called war
on drugs:

1.Those who make their livelihood from it. This includes politicians
and bureaucrats who are probably on the payroll of the drug cartels.
(Al Capone had hundreds of politicians and prohibition officials on
his payroll.)

2. Suckers. This includes taxpayers who have bought into the lies and
propaganda of the drug-war industry and bureaucracy; who are willing
to deny liberty and freedom to others but think their own liberty and
freedom will never be in jeopardy; who believe that criminalizing a
substance will make it go away; who think drug prohibition somehow
protects children; who think giving criminals control of dangerous
drugs somehow protects children and our society; who think they live
in a free country even though the United States is the most
incarcerated nation in the history of human civilization.

Kirk Muse

Mesa